The Effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers and Considerations for Its Application in Christian Counseling

This study examined the effects of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers (PCIT-T) on the parenting skills and mental health of eight mothers, as well as their toddlers’ behavioral problems, immediately after the intervention and at a 3-months follow-up. Conducted over 9 to 11 weeks, PCIT-T included at least six sessions of Child-Directed Interaction (CDI-T) coaching and two sessions of Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI-T) coaching. The results showed improved positive parenting skills and reduced negative parenting skills post-intervention, with these changes maintained at follow-up. Parenting efficacy increased post-intervention but was not maintained at 3 months. While maternal depression remained unchanged, overall psychological distress decreased at follow-up compared to pre-intervention levels. For toddlers, externalizing behavior problems decreased post-intervention and remained reduced at follow-up. However, no changes were observed in internalizing behavior problems. The study highlights the effectiveness of PCIT-T in enhancing parenting skills and addressing toddlers’ externalizing behaviors in Korea. It also discusses the mental health of mothers and the measurement tools, as well as the potential for applying PCIT-T in Christian counseling. Further studies with control groups are recommended to further validate PCIT-T with Korean families.